Russia Celebrates Tiger Day at Moscow Zoo

WCS Joins U.S. Embassy in Applauding New Wildlife Stamps in U.S. and Russia

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2011) – The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) joined the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in celebration of Russia’s Tiger Day to commemorate the issuance of a tiger postage stamp the U.S. and a tiger postcard in Russia and that will help save wildlife.

The event was held at the Moscow Zoo on Sunday, September 25, and was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle.

On September 20, the U.S. Postal Service launched a new the Save Vanishing Species stamp to raise funds for conservation projects to save species like elephants, tigers, and great apes at no taxpayer expense. The Russian Postal Service has created its own postcard in support of wildlife conservation in Russia, which was unveiled at the Tiger Day event.

“The new wildlife stamp is a tremendous opportunity to help save wildlife around the world in a financially responsible way,” said John Calvelli, Wildlife Conservation Society’s Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. “I am pleased that Russia is also using this unique model by unveiling its own wildlife postcard and I applaud the U.S. Embassy in Russia for its efforts to support international wildlife conservation.”

WCS has worked for more than 18 years to save tigers in Russia’s Sikhote-Alin Landscape. Last November, WCS also participated in the groundbreaking Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, at which the 13 countries where wild tigers still live came together and agreed to support the Global Tiger Recovery Program.

Save Vanishing Species stamps are now available at Post Office locations nationwide and online at shop.usps.com/. They will sell for 11 cents greater than a First Class Mail stamp — 55 cents — and $11 for a sheet of 20. Also available is a special commemorative notecard set featuring the stamp’s image.

Today, only 3,200 tigers populate 42 source sites across thirteen countries in Asia that are now the last hope and greatest priority for the conservation and recovery of the world’s largest cat. Source sites contain the majority of the world’s remaining breeding females – approximately 1,000 individuals – and have the potential to seed the recovery of tigers across wider landscapes. Multinational Species Conservation Funds, including the Rhino-Tiger Conservation Fund, provide critical support to programs that protect these last remaining tiger habitats.

The Save Vanishing Species stamps will contribute funding for projects supported by the Multinational Species Conservation Funds (MSCF), which are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve tigers, rhinos, great apes, marine turtles, African elephants and Asian elephants. The stamp was created through federal legislation which was signed into law in September 2010. Passage of the law was spearheaded by the Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund and was supported by the 33 organizations of the Multinational Species Coalition.